What is Enviro Rock? Ask Kevin Hearn and Lou Reed

From Strauss’ “The Blue Danube” to John Denver’s “Rocky Mountain High” to Frank Black’s “Czar” and beyond, enviro rock has a long, storied history. But Barenaked Ladies instrumentalist Kevin Hearn and Velvet Underground legend Lou Reed’s song about overfishing the oceans stands out like a sore sea-hugger.

Kevin Hearn and Thin Buckle‘s Havana Winter, released on Tuesday from Hearn’s indie label Celery Music, is nakedly invested in such natural subjects. “Coma,” which features Reed on backing vocals and guitar, was inspired by Charles Clover’s The End of the Line, an alarming documentary about fishing, technology and extinction. Reed and Hearn use that as a point of departure to also criticize urban sprawl.

Reed plays screeching guitar on three tunes (“Coma,” “In The Shade,” “H.I.T.S.”), while his wife, performance artist Laurie Anderson adds electric violin on “Reeling.” Take a listen to “Coma” below and let us know where this warped folktronic track falls for you in the enviro rock spectrum.